[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 19 (Thursday, January 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4466-4467]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2094]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
National Tribal Consultation; Meeting
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Tribal Consultation Meeting--Tribal Trust Account
Holders and Allottees.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office of the Secretary will
conduct four (4) consultation meetings with any Indian tribe, band,
nation, allottee group, individual allottee, other organized group or
community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village
corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native
Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688), which is recognized as eligible
for the trust programs and services provided by the United States to
Indians because of their status as Indians.
The purpose of these consultation meetings is to obtain oral
comments regarding the Recommendations of the Secretary of the Interior
for Settlement of Disputed Tribal Trust Fund Accounts, which were
delivered to the U.S. Congress on November 13, 1997. The
Recommendations of the Department were based on comments received in a
prior consultation process in January 1997, on legislative options for
settling tribal trust fund claims. The Recommendations developed by the
Department of the Interior consist of a report and legislative
proposals aimed at settling more than two decades of disputed balances
in Tribal Trust Fund accounts.
The Administration is pursuing a three-pronged strategy to address
issues related to the Department of the Interior's administration and
management of Indian trust funds. First, it is proposing this
legislative approach that utilizes informal dispute resolution
mechanisms to address claims that tribes may have with regard to the
Department's past management of tribal trust fund accounts. Second, in
conjunction with the special Trustee for American Indians, the
Department has developed recommendations for improving the underlying
trust management and accounting systems. Third, the Department has
proposed legislation to end the increasing fractionation of ownership
of Indian allotted lands.
The consultation meetings will be held to receive tribal comments
on the first part of this strategy--the Secretary's Recommendations for
settlement of disputed tribal trust funds accounts. Tribes may attend
any of the consultation sessions.
DATES (1998): Four consultation sessions will be conducted:
February 9, 1998, Portland, OR, Airport Sheraton Hotel, 8235 NE Airport
Way, Portland OR, 503-281-2500.
February 10, 1998, Albuquerque, NM, Sheraton Uptown Albuquerque, 2600
Louisiana Blvd., NE., Albuquerque, NM, 505-881-0000.
February 11, 1998, Oklahoma City, OK, Radisson Inn Hotel, West
Interstate 40 & Meridian Ave., Oklahoma City, OK, 405-947-7681.
February 12, 1998, Minneapolis, MN, Minneapolis/St Paul Hilton, 3800
East 80th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 612-854-2100 or 800-637-7453.
All sessions will begin at 9 AM and continue until completed,
except the Albuquerque, NM meeting which will begin at 8 AM. Public
attendance may be limited to the space available.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Indian
Affairs, Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC
20240, 202-208-5116, FAX 202-208-6334.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of these consultation meetings
is to provide Indian Tribal trust account holders and Allottees an
opportunity to provide comments regarding the ``Recommendations of the
Secretary of the Interior for Settlement of Disputed Tribal Trust Fund
Accounts.'' The objectives of the Recommendations are:
[[Page 4467]]
Acknowledge and respect tribal sovereignty.
Achieve a settlement that is fair to both the Indian
community and the general public.
Achieve the most resource-efficient settlement of claims
(in terms of conserving federal government and tribal time, money, and
staff).
Encourage settlement by providing incentives to settle and
disincentives to litigate.
Use the most informal settlement processes available
rather than litigation to encourage tribal participation.
Obtain funding for the settlement without reducing
appropriations for the BIA and Special Trustee budgets and tribal
programs.
Achieve agreement on account balances through September
30, 1992, or the date of settlement, as an agreed-upon starting point
for the future.
The Department's Recommendations build on the legislative options
for settlement that the Department submitted to Congress on December
11, 1996, and that we sent to you at the same time. After submitting
the options to Congress, the Department consulted with and provided an
opportunity for written comments from tribal representatives throughout
the country about the approaches we were considering. A copy of the
Report on the Recommendations of the Department was distributed to all
Tribal Leaders on November 13, 1997.
All oral comments presented by tribes and individuals at these
consultation meetings will be recorded and transcribed.
Summaries of the meetings will be available for public inspection
and copying ten days following the meeting.
Dated: January 23, 1998.
Kevin Gover,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-2094 Filed 1-28-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-U
